Introduction: Biochemistry is a foundational yet challenging discipline in medical education. Traditional lecture-based teaching often promotes rote memorization over deep conceptual understanding. Case-Based Learning (CBL) addresses this by framing scientific concepts within clinical scenarios to enhance relevance. While CBL has anecdotal support, its efficacy requires rigorous local evaluation. This study assessed CBL within the integrated medical curriculum at al-Zaeim al-Azhari University, Sudan. Methods: This intervention-based case study involved first-year medical students (n=140) in a "Nutrition and Metabolism" course. Didactic lectures were followed by a directed CBL intervention. Students were divided into 13 small groups to analyze and present clinical cases. Data were collected via pre- and post-course student questionnaires and a facilitator feedback form. Quantitative data from these surveys were analyzed to determine the intervention's impact. The majority of students recognized the importance of biochemistry for basic sciences (79%) and clinical medicine (73.3%) even before the intervention. Post-CBL, a significant shift was observed, with 65.5% of students reporting an improved understanding of clinical relevance. Furthermore, (74.2%) agreed that CBL successfully integrated biochemical knowledge with clinical scenarios. While (60%) found metabolism challenging, over (70%) affirmed its necessity. Facilitators unanimously reported that CBL improved students' analytical skills, deep learning, and active participation, strongly endorsing its continued use. The integration of a directed Case-Based Learning model significantly enhanced medical students' appreciation of the clinical relevance of biochemistry and improved their understanding of complex metabolic topics. The method was positively received by both students and faculty, effectively bridging the gap between basic science and clinical application. It is recommended that CBL be further integrated into the medical biochemistry curriculum to promote a more engaging, student-centered, and effective learning environment.
| Published in | Science Discovery Medicine (Volume 1, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16 |
| Page(s) | 38-46 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Case-based Learning, Biochemistry Education, Medical Education, Sudan, Clinical Integration, Student Engagement, Metabolism
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APA Style
Omer, A. I. A., Bakhit, S. M. A., Abdelgdir, H. S. (2026). Smart Teaching Tools: A Case-based Learning Model in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Zaeim Al-Azhari University, Sudan. Science Discovery Medicine, 1(1), 38-46. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16
ACS Style
Omer, A. I. A.; Bakhit, S. M. A.; Abdelgdir, H. S. Smart Teaching Tools: A Case-based Learning Model in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Zaeim Al-Azhari University, Sudan. Sci. Discov. Med. 2026, 1(1), 38-46. doi: 10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16
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author = {Aisha Ibrahim Ahmed Omer and Siham Mohammed Ahmed Bakhit and Hiba Salah Abdelgdir},
title = {Smart Teaching Tools: A Case-based Learning Model in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Zaeim Al-Azhari University, Sudan},
journal = {Science Discovery Medicine},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {38-46},
doi = {10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sdmed.20260101.16},
abstract = {Introduction: Biochemistry is a foundational yet challenging discipline in medical education. Traditional lecture-based teaching often promotes rote memorization over deep conceptual understanding. Case-Based Learning (CBL) addresses this by framing scientific concepts within clinical scenarios to enhance relevance. While CBL has anecdotal support, its efficacy requires rigorous local evaluation. This study assessed CBL within the integrated medical curriculum at al-Zaeim al-Azhari University, Sudan. Methods: This intervention-based case study involved first-year medical students (n=140) in a "Nutrition and Metabolism" course. Didactic lectures were followed by a directed CBL intervention. Students were divided into 13 small groups to analyze and present clinical cases. Data were collected via pre- and post-course student questionnaires and a facilitator feedback form. Quantitative data from these surveys were analyzed to determine the intervention's impact. The majority of students recognized the importance of biochemistry for basic sciences (79%) and clinical medicine (73.3%) even before the intervention. Post-CBL, a significant shift was observed, with 65.5% of students reporting an improved understanding of clinical relevance. Furthermore, (74.2%) agreed that CBL successfully integrated biochemical knowledge with clinical scenarios. While (60%) found metabolism challenging, over (70%) affirmed its necessity. Facilitators unanimously reported that CBL improved students' analytical skills, deep learning, and active participation, strongly endorsing its continued use. The integration of a directed Case-Based Learning model significantly enhanced medical students' appreciation of the clinical relevance of biochemistry and improved their understanding of complex metabolic topics. The method was positively received by both students and faculty, effectively bridging the gap between basic science and clinical application. It is recommended that CBL be further integrated into the medical biochemistry curriculum to promote a more engaging, student-centered, and effective learning environment.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Smart Teaching Tools: A Case-based Learning Model in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Zaeim Al-Azhari University, Sudan AU - Aisha Ibrahim Ahmed Omer AU - Siham Mohammed Ahmed Bakhit AU - Hiba Salah Abdelgdir Y1 - 2026/03/23 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16 DO - 10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16 T2 - Science Discovery Medicine JF - Science Discovery Medicine JO - Science Discovery Medicine SP - 38 EP - 46 PB - Science Publishing Group UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sdmed.20260101.16 AB - Introduction: Biochemistry is a foundational yet challenging discipline in medical education. Traditional lecture-based teaching often promotes rote memorization over deep conceptual understanding. Case-Based Learning (CBL) addresses this by framing scientific concepts within clinical scenarios to enhance relevance. While CBL has anecdotal support, its efficacy requires rigorous local evaluation. This study assessed CBL within the integrated medical curriculum at al-Zaeim al-Azhari University, Sudan. Methods: This intervention-based case study involved first-year medical students (n=140) in a "Nutrition and Metabolism" course. Didactic lectures were followed by a directed CBL intervention. Students were divided into 13 small groups to analyze and present clinical cases. Data were collected via pre- and post-course student questionnaires and a facilitator feedback form. Quantitative data from these surveys were analyzed to determine the intervention's impact. The majority of students recognized the importance of biochemistry for basic sciences (79%) and clinical medicine (73.3%) even before the intervention. Post-CBL, a significant shift was observed, with 65.5% of students reporting an improved understanding of clinical relevance. Furthermore, (74.2%) agreed that CBL successfully integrated biochemical knowledge with clinical scenarios. While (60%) found metabolism challenging, over (70%) affirmed its necessity. Facilitators unanimously reported that CBL improved students' analytical skills, deep learning, and active participation, strongly endorsing its continued use. The integration of a directed Case-Based Learning model significantly enhanced medical students' appreciation of the clinical relevance of biochemistry and improved their understanding of complex metabolic topics. The method was positively received by both students and faculty, effectively bridging the gap between basic science and clinical application. It is recommended that CBL be further integrated into the medical biochemistry curriculum to promote a more engaging, student-centered, and effective learning environment. VL - 1 IS - 1 ER -
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan
Family Medicine, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan
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